Scout family
Scouting runs in the Smith family.
Joshua, 17, Simon, 13, and Jackson, 7, are all Boy Scouts. Natalie, 14, is an American Heritage Girl, and she recently joined Scouts BSA as well when the Boy Scouts of America started allowing girls to get involved.
But at the head of this passion for scouting is their father, Ed Smith. Smith serves as the scoutmaster of Troop 16 in Butler.
As scoutmaster — a role Smith took on three years ago — he serves as an adviser to scouts and helps to enforce safety at meetings and events.
“The goal is to mentor the youth in the program to lead themselves,” he said. “We just want to see them reach what they can, achieve what we know they can achieve.”
But being scoutmaster also allows him to spend quality time with his three sons.
“I see them grow as they go through the program,” Smith said. “In addition to all of the high adventure stuff, there’s something to be said about getting to know your kids outside of the cycle of school and home.”
He said his sons all got involved in scouting when they were young, around kindergarten or first grade.
Smith himself was involved with Boy Scouts when he was younger, too.
But as he got busy with other activities that conflicted with weekly scout meetings, he fell away from the activity — making it all the more exciting that his oldest son, Joshua, will soon be earning the rank of Eagle Scout. He’s just one merit badge away.
“I’m excited and a bit nervous,” Joshua said. “I’ve been working on this for so long and it’s almost here.”
His dad has been there to guide him, though. Joshua said he’s always helped him to work toward advancing and to earn more merit badges.
One of Smith’s favorite parts of Boy Scouts is the Butler troop’s annual winter camp. He said it’s always great to be away from home and disconnected from technology.
He also said winter camp is one of the first opportunities the younger scouts have to experience camping. When Joshua was younger, his own time spent at winter camp led him to join Troop 16.
At winter camp, the scouts get to cook, too, something many of them don’t have experience with. One morning, they make everyone pancakes and bacon for breakfast.
Smith also serves as a cooking merit badge counselor, so he helps with the cooking and teaches the scouts about food safety. He said he loves to watch the boys share what they’ve made with everyone.
“It really helps them invest in the entire experience,” he said.
Alongside his responsibilities as scoutmaster, Smith has also taken a role in his daughter’s scouting experiences.
He serves as a Stars and Stripes coordinator for the American Heritage Girls. The Stars and Stripes Award is similar in rank to what the Eagle Scout is for Boy Scouts. He’s also a rank adviser for her Scouts BSA troop.
